ROBSTOWN, Texas — For senior, Justin Fernandez, his entire running career had led to this. Chasing after a goal that had eluded him for so long and in 2020, he finally achieved it.
"All that was going through my mind was gotta go to state, gotta go to state," said Fernandez.
That was the goal: make it to the state track meet, something that fewer than 150 kids in the state of Texas accomplish each year. For the three years prior, the event had just slipped out of his fingers. This year, he was determined to not let that happen again.
"He's been working ever since to get to that goal," coach Adolfo Gonzalez said.
"I knew that this was my last chance," added Fernandez.
His performance in the regional meet did the trick, Fernandez placed in the state meet and to him, this was more than just a personal achievement, this was something to make his entire community proud.
"I just kept saying to myself do it for me, do it for my coach, and make my school proud."
He took the small town of Robstown to the big stage of a statewide, UIL event.
"Just being on the course it was a dream true," he added.
And whenever people asked about Robstown, he told them all they needed to know.
"I told people how great it was and how great of a place it is to be."
And his coach, who knew this day would come, attributes all of it to his attitude.
"He's always at practice, never complaining and he was making sure to outwork everyone."
